Music Reviews and Awards
A voluptuously vixenish vireo vested with vivacity, verve, and versatility, Leigh Harrison is Music. She has been my Muse for some time now, and it is high time to spread the wealth, so grab this CD!
Leigh Harrison is a musician and singer who captures your heart with exquisite blues, country, rock, and original works. She is a great poet who makes your day as beautiful in music as she does in her books and poetry.
Leigh Harrison is a unique artist, whose songs travel a range of genres, and whose lyrics are like the poetry of a flower garden -- beautiful and variegated. Her voice can be funky, little girlish, sultry, or smoky- sweet, and her guitar playing is feminine powerhouse! I recommend everyone check out her CD, "Leigh Harrison / Eclectic Chanteuse."
This CD always brings a smile to my face. There is so much warmth on this CD that by playing it, you can actually save on your heating bills. Leigh takes us on a journey through the world of blues from an old-timey swing perspective, with each cut having its own unique style. The influences here range from Chicago to Texas, with even a bit of Hawaii thrown in. Holding it all together is Leigh's wonderful vocal style, full of wit, wisdom, and a very understated -- but wacky - sense of humor.
"Eclectic Chanteuse" also features the work of some very fine musicians, including Leigh's live music cohort, Bobby Perfect, who seems to be able to play any style with a combination of flash and restraint, a just-right combination that truly makes me feel that the most accurate way to describe his playing is to say his last name. It is sometimes said that the Blues is a music that will make you lose your blues…well, "Eclectic Chanteuse" is your proof of that.
"Eclectic Chanteuse" by the multi-talented Leigh Harrison, is filled with gems: from the sassy country offering, "Shoo Fly Pie," to the hauntingly beautiful arrangement of Archibald MacLeisch's "What Every Lover Learns," this recording moves the listener to laughter and tears…enchanting.
This is an album worthy of repeated plays, with a rich mix of styles tinged with country and blues. Excellent guitar playing from Bobby Perfect, such as on "Cruisin For a Bluesin." (Producer) Nick Holmes fills out the sound on bass and keyboards. Leigh's voice is consistent throughout and suits her style. I love the simple feel and chord progression of "Once In a Blue, Blue Moon;" it works really well. "Grey Roses" is a moving song about the fall of the Towers on 9/11. It has a folky feel to it and the words are very moving and respectful. Check this record out!
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Bob & Leigh spent 2017 working in the studio, re-mixing and mastering tracks for BlueBird's first-ever CD, "BlueBird At My Window." Here's the review that was published in the October 2018 issue of the CT music magazine, SoundWaves.
Here are reviews of Leigh's first
CD, "Eclectic Chanteuse," released in 2003 by SongCrew Music.